Speech-Language Therapist

Speech-language therapists are professional who are responsible for providing clinical services for speech, language, communication and swallowing problems.

Below are examples of speech, language, communication and swallowing problems:

Speech problem

Pronunciation problem

Apraxia

Dysarthria

Resonance problem

Voice problem

Stuttering

Language problem

Speech delay

Improper sentence structure

Difficult to understand conversation

Difficult to follow simple / complex command

Swallowing Problem

Difficult to swallow food /drink

Cough during eating /drinking

Take longer time to finish meal

Feel food stuck in throat after eating/drinking

Source : Writer’s collection

A person with speech, language, communication, and/or swallowing problem should be referred to a qualified Speech-Language Therapist to treat the problem. The Speech-Language Therapist will either do screening, assessment, provide treatment and/or counseling to manage the problem.

Speech, language, communication, and swallowing difficulties could happen to anybody at any age level. Commonly, children with Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, learning difficulty, hearing impaired, cleft lip/palate, and Autism Spectrum Disorder will have speech, language, and/or communication problem. Adults also could acquire speech, language, communication and/or swallowing problems due to stroke, brain injury, and aging process. The need of speech therapy session is different from each person depending on potential and motivation of patient and family towards the therapy program.

Additionally, Speech-Language Therapists are also involved in activities such as :

Educating the public about speech, language, communication and swallowing problems through campaigns, talks, and brochures

Conduct research related to speech, language, communication and swallowing difficulty

Bachelor of Speech Science @ Bachelor of Health Science (Speech Pathology) from local and foreign universities are recognized.

Working Placement

Career as a Speech-Language Therapist is a profession that is constantly evolving over time. The advantages of this profession is that it allows Speech-Language Therapists to work in various sectors including:

Although a career as a Speech-Language Therapist has seen extensive work opportunities, but there are some constraints in the scope of services in Malaysia. Among the challenges are:

Lack of graduates in the field of speech-language therapy

So far only two public universities offer courses in the field of speech-language therapy for degree level. The number of new students for a university is very low, about 15-20 students in the past year. This is due to the lack of lecturers and facilities for clinical training.

Lack of Speech-Language Therapist working with Ministry of Health

Although speech therapy services have been introduced in the Ministry of Health since 2001, the shortage of Speech-Language Therapist in the Ministry of Health is still a major issue. In 2014 the ratio of Speech-Language Therapist to Malaysian population is 1: 156,760.

As of September 2015, there are only 104 Speech-Language Therapists serving in the Ministry of Health. New intake of Speech-Language Therapists in the Ministry of Health in the past 10 years (2001 to 2010) was about 6 people a year. Patients have to wait for longer time to see a Speech-Language Therapist due to shortage of Speech-Language Therapist in Ministry of Health. One of the reasons why only a limited number of Speech-Language Therapists are interested to join Ministry of Health is because they can earn more in the private sector or abroad.

References

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. 2007. Scope of Practice in Speech-Language Pathologist [Scope of Practice]. Available from www.asha.org/policy.doi: 10.1044/policy.SP2007-00283